Pearl nut vs bone/ivory saddle

[mythicfish]

It has recently been suggested that I install a pearl nut on my Rigel A+
in order to achieve greater "clarity" when playing in 2nd and 3rd
position. I imagined that a saddle would have greater impact ... but
what do I know.
If you've had experience along these lines, I'd appreciate hearing hearing from you.
Dr. Cohen ... don't be shy.

Thanks
Curt Roseman

[Martin Jonas]

There was a long and rather heated debate of that question here recently, which you should be able to find through a search. In summary, most people (including me) thought that the nut material matters for the open strings and is irrelevant on fretted notes. A minority opinion held the opposite view (and rather forcefully so). I still cannot see any physical mechanism by which the nut material may affect significantly affect anything other than open notes, but in the end it's your ears that matter.

Martin
(The word "significantly" in the previous sentence is my scientific training coming through -- there are millions of minute factors that go into overall tone, so one cannot be too absolute in any statement.)

[Dave Cohen]

Not much for me to add here. Like Martin, I was in the skeptical camp in the previous thread. I could be convinced otherwise, but as always, convincing me would take some concrete empirical evidence. I still think that the nut has its greatest tonal effect on the open strings. Every instrument which I have played has seemed to corroborate that. Also, there is consensus among classical mandolin players that they don't want the open strings to sound different from the fretted notes, and bone nuts seem to be preferred for that reason.

[FOXFIRE]

Also, there is consensus among classical mandolin players that they don't want the open strings to sound different from the fretted notes, and bone nuts seem to be preferred for that reason. [QUOTE]

If that's the case then why not use fret wire or metal for a nut.

[Bill Snyder]

If that's the case then why not use fret wire or metal for a nut.
That is one reason some (good) builders #give for using a zero fret. (Although they are more common on cheap factory guitars because they make it easier to set the action than setting it with the nut.)

[Dave Cohen]

I've watched the zero fret debate for some time. One reason for not using a zero fret is that potential instrument buyers don't seem to like them, and they have an existing preference for bone.

[Antlurz]

My personal observations, derived from the first electic four course twelve string I built many years ago were positive about a zero fret. The positive points on that mando were partly derived from the small slotted aluminum angle I used to space the strings. It did nothing else. The benefits were that when you brought it up to tune, the adjustment was immediate, and there was none of that "creep" that seems to be common a few minutes later when your adjustment goes a little higher as the tension levels out. For me, it seems common to have to bring a string up just slightly lower than you want and let the extra tension between the machine and the nut level out.

Another positive I found was that if you are a string "bender", and the nut isn't perfectly flawless and slippery, bending the strings will pull a bit more of them through the nut, throwing it out of tune. That won't happen with a zero fret. You can bend the heck out of them usually without throwing them out of tune.

YMMV

Ron

[Stephen Perry]

The material called "nut sauce" greatly aids the benders in keeping tune. Good nut lubricant.

[Paul Hostetter]

Of all the nut materials, the most reliable in terms of smooth bearing surfaces and durability is pearl. I agree it has no discernible effect on a fretted string's sound, but it a) looks really nice and b) is as smooth and unproblematic as nut materials get. This counts for a lot.

I don't think lubricants for nuts are at all necessary or desirable. They're an unsuccessful sop for a badly cut nut, and usually wear off in no time anyway. A properly cut nut slot offers little friction, and if the nut material is well chosen, you need nothing else. The string movement burnishes the slot beautifully.

I use pearl when the customer's budget permits, unbleached bone most of the time. I dislike synthetics, horn and ivory - too soft. And I love zero frets, but don't think they're essential for every instrument!